Former Police Community Support Officer convicted of drink driving while on duty

Thursday, 24 August 2023 01:00

A former Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) has been convicted of a driving offence whilst on duty.

Neil Turnbull, who resigned from his role within Wiltshire Police earlier this month, pleaded guilty to driving a police car under the influence of excess alcohol in Salisbury on March 6 2023.

This was identified by officers, and he was immediately suspended from the force.

He appeared before magistrates last Wednesday (16th August), where he was disqualified from driving for a period of 12 months unless he completes a driving course where this might be further reduced.

Now that the criminal proceedings have concluded, a gross misconduct investigation will resume into his actions.

Detective Inspector Adam Leakey said: “Clearly, the actions of Mr Turnbull fly in the face of the standards the public rightly expect from us.

“As a direct result of his actions, he could have posed a significant risk to the public, his colleagues and himself.

“A gross misconduct investigation can now continue, and we will keep the public updated as to how this develops.”

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